A Dance on a Beach
by Alexithymea
Summary: Story I wrote for my boyfriend. Ten and Rose take some time off just to enjoy traveling the universe, because not everything has to be adventure. Just a drabble, really. Nothing special.


Without a doubt the TARDIS was a little cold. Rose could attest to that as she lounged in the chair near the control panel. The Doctor moved around, talking to himself mostly, but occasionally voicing a question, to which her response was to simply nod at him or give him an approving smile. She wanted to go someplace warm. Someplace comfortable. Someplace like-

"Vutania!" the Doctor suddenly yelled, interrupting her thoughts. She looked at him, some sense of confusion on her face. His eyes were locked on her as if waiting for a reaction, and Rose simply shook her head ever so slightly and shrugged.

"What's on Vutana?" she asked, purposefully mispronouncing it so he would have to correct her.

"Vutan_ia_," the Doctor said again, practically dancing around the console as he hit buttons to bring them to this new place. "The universe's first holiday planet. The entire planet is covered in oceans."

"Then how would you be able to go on holiday there?" Rose followed up, already knowing that was the question he wanted asked.

"Islands. Millions of them. Each with a private home." He paused in his movements to turn fully to her, leaning a little on the control panel. "Interested?"

Rose let her feet hit the grating underneath her as she leaned forward. "Extremely," she answered, a smile causing her nose to wrinkle a little in her enthusiasm. "Should I dress for sun?"

That was how she found herself in a one piece suit laying on the beach of this new planet. New to her anyhow. The Doctor was busy standing in the water, the waves lapping at his thighs as he stood there in swim trunks, taking readings with his sonic screwdriver. Although she had no clue what he was up to, she figured it was something that would lead to another adventure. But with the Doctor, you really could never tell.

"Do you really need to do that now?" Rose asked, sitting up just enough so she could watch him.

She watched as he turned, the water reflecting sunlight back up, light dancing over him. "Not really. But the waves are in a perfect three fourths tempo. You could waltz to them."

It was said with a childlike fascinated sort of glee. A smile turned the corner of her lips up as what he said registered with her. After all the adventures, all the time spent running and saving people and everything the Doctor did, Rose wanted nothing more than a moment to just relax and be. It meant more that she had her Doctor with her, looking at her with his wide smile that showed off his brilliant teeth and dimples. She couldn't help but smile back.

When he waded through the water once more to lay next to her, she rolled so she was facing him and smiled. "Do you remember our first date."

"Applegrass," was all he said, his smile returning.

"New New York," she responded with a nod. "It seems like so long ago."

"Oh, not so long." His eyes were on her now as his head simply turned, his hair slowly sinking down with the dampness in the air. "Well...not as long ago as it might seem."

"Only because to you everything was yesterday," Rose commented as she sat up and shifted to stand, accidentally kicking sand on his wet legs. She smiled and would have brushed it off but was feeling particularly childish herself and instead kicked more onto him as she stood. "Well then. Come on. You said you could waltz to the waves. Waltz with me."

"Do I have to?" the Doctor mock whined, resulting in more sand landing on him. He took a moment to stand and hold out his hands to his scantily clad companion. Rose smiled and stepped into position as he started leading her in the Earth dance.

"You are a good dancer," she said with a nod.

"Amazingly I've had years to practice," he responded with a smile as he turned her.

Rose wanted to commit this moment to memory, each step, the shift of the sand underfoot, the feeling of his hand on her waist, the other gripping her own. The feel of the sun undoubtedly burning her skin as she danced with the Doctor. Her doctor.

"Do we have to leave again?" she asked as she was pressed against him once more, the feel of his two hearts fluttering against his chest reverberating through her hands.

"There's the rest of the universe to explore, Rose Tyler," he said, leaning closer. "And I want you there with me."

She gave a nod and continued dancing with him. She would take all the time she could with this man. This Time Lord. Because even if he didn't know how she really felt, he was always this unattainable enigma that surprised her and made her smile and saved her.

And she loved him.


End file.
